Acclaimed Humanitarian and Musician to Visit the Walker for Regis Dialogue and Area Premiere of New Documentary

Minneapolis, MN, February 24, 2012— The Walker Art Center presents Harry Belafonte: Singing His Song, a Regis Dialogue and Retrospective, from March 7 to 15. Four of Belafonte’s films will be screened as part of the program, including the area premiere of his new biographical documentary, Sing Your Song, on March 15.

Following the screening of Sing Your Song, Belafonte will participate in a Regis Dialogue with Scott Foundas, associate director of the Film Society of Lincoln Center, followed by a Q&A with the audience.

Belafonte has been an advocate for civil rights and humanitarian causes throughout a career that spans more than six decades, so when he talks about singing his song, it is as much about activism as it is about his acclaimed voice and compositions. After first finding an international audience in the 1950s with Caribbean music, the “King of Calypso” entered filmmaking both as an actor and producer. Along with other civil rights activists, he was blacklisted during the McCarthy era, but returned to both music and film, winning numerous awards. He used his fame on the world political stage to stand for equal rights with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; oppose apartheid in South Africa; undertake numerous initiatives for UNICEF; and even promote hip-hop in Cuba.

Sing Your Song chronicles the life of one of the most charismatic and influential artists in American film, theater, and music. Harry Belafonte recounts his ascendancy in New York’s nightclubs and theaters and then Hollywood from the ‘40s through the ‘60s, as well as his decades of fierce social activism. “It isn’t just the story of a man, but the story of a country and a century” (Variety). Featuring Martin Luther King, Jr., Sidney Poitier, Paul Robeson, Nat King Cole, Dorothy Dandridge, Marlon Brando, and many others. 2012, video, 105 minutes.

Sing Your Song was produced by Minneapolis native Bill Eigen, who also produced the documentaries Isn’t this a Time and the Emmy Award-winning Pete Seeger: The Power of Song.

Sing Your Song will play in a special one-week theatrical run from March 16-22 at The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul’s Screen 3 at the St. Anthony Main Theatre.

Retrospective Screenings

Tickets $8 ($6 Walker members and students), Walker Cinema

Carmen Jones

Wednesday, March 7, 7:30 pm

Directed by Otto Preminger

A groundbreaking adaptation of Bizet’s classic opera Carmen, with Belafonte as a WWI flyboy caught in a love triangle and a momentous performance from Dorothy Dandridge in the title role. 1954, 35mm, 105 minutes.

Odds Against Tomorrow

Thursday, March 8, 7:30 pm

Directed by Robert Wise

In this film noir, Belafonte is a chronic gambler planning a bank heist with an ex-cop and a racist ex-con. The “sheer dramatic build-up” in this film has “an artistic caliber that is rarely achieved on screen” (New York Times). 1959, 35mm, 96 minutes.

Kansas City

Wednesday, March 14, 7:30 pm

Directed by Robert Altman

Belafonte won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor as an underworld kingpin in this intricate, jazz-laced journey through Depression-era America. 1996, 35mm, 116 minutes.

Acknowledgments

This program is made possible by generous support from Regis Foundation.

Harry Belafonte

Courtesy S2BN Films

The Walker Art Center is a catalyst for the creative expression of artists and the active engagement of audiences.